A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jerry Gana, has claimed that the party is holding discussions with the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and other prominent southern political figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former Minister of Information disclosed this during an interview on African Independent Television on Friday.

The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, had earlier stated that “Peter Obi is our product. We want to get him back, indeed, because he is a very, very great capital for any political party.”

When asked to confirm the discussion with Obi during the interview, Gana said, “Yes, why not? He was our member. In fact, if I were the former Vice President, I would have said in 2023, ‘No, Peter, you were my vice-presidential candidate in 2019. Now, I’ll support you.’ It would have been a strong statement.”

Gana, who is leading one of the party’s consultative delegations, said that although formal talks with Obi had not yet occurred, discussions were underway with people close to him.

“I have met people. I have met him (Obi), and I have met people he would refer to, and I have sat with them for hours. We are moving step by step,” he said.

Gana added that Obi was not the only figure being courted, as the PDP was exploring broader options across the southern region.

“We’re not just looking at one person. One, two, three, even more. You know, the South is full of talent,” he said.